12 June 2014

Local News

Ballots in West Lane Race to Be Recounted After All

The results of the May 20th primary election may be certified, but they’re not yet final. After initially saying there would be no recount of votes cast in the race for the West Lane seat on the Lane County Commission, the Elections Department reversed course yesterday.

That’s because of input from the Oregon Secretary of State’s office about a law that took effect three years ago changing the requirements for automatic recounts.

Previous law required recounts when the margin of difference between two candidates was two-tenths of one-percent or less. Since 2011, recounts are also required in non-partisan races when one candidate gets at least 50-percent of the votes cast, but less than that same two-tenths-of-one-percent margin.

Official results show Jay Bozievich with more than twice the required margin of votes over challenger Dawn Lesley; about one-half-of-one-percent. But, his margin over the 50-percent mark was only 17 votes which is just over one-tenth-of-one-percent.

If he still has at least one voter over the 50-percent mark following next week’s recount his name will appear alone on the November ballot. If not, there will be a runoff between him and Lesley.

Burns Earns Rise to the Future Award

A local man has been recognized for getting local students involved in helping to restore runs of wild salmon.

Paul Burns, a fisheries biologist for the Siuslaw National Forest was recently awarded a regional “Rise to the Future” recognition from the U.S. Forest Service.

Central Coast District Ranger Michelle Jones said the award acknowledges Burns’ “outstanding work” in fisheries and watershed programs in Oregon and Washington national forests involving local students.

Burns has worked with the Salmon Trout Enhancement Program and the Siuslaw Stream Team for nearly two decades to engage youth in salmon habitat and population restoration efforts.

Two of those projects are the internationally recognized Karnowsky Creek restoration; as well as the Knowles Creek smolt-monitoring trap. That began in 1995 with his suggestion to include students in a “hands-on” trapping and monitoring project. Since then an estimated three-thousand students from Florence and Mapleton have participated.

Flag Day Ceremony Set to Retire Banners

Worn and damaged flags will be retired in Florence once again this weekend as part of the local observance of Flag Day.

The American Legion and VFW posts, along with area firefighters, will join together June 14th in Old Town Florence near Veteran’s Memorial Park for the retirement ceremonies.

The U.S. Flag Code requires flags to be burned rather than simply discarded. For more than a decade local veterans groups have been providing the service; one of the few in Western Oregon.

Residents, businesses and other groups with flags needing to be retired can drop them off at the main fire station at 26th and Highway 101 today or tomorrow… or bring them to the ceremony Saturday evening beginning at five pm.

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Athlete of the Week

Richard Huff

The Junior wrestler claimed victory on the mats at 120 pounds last week in dual meets against Reedsport and North Bend, then finished 2nd at the Cascade High School Perry Burlison classic, winning his first three matches by decision before falling in the championship match.

Honorable mention is given to Viking forward Jakob Hickson who led scoring with 15 points in the Vikings’ season opening victory over the Creswell Bulldogs.

Viking Sports Talk

Coast Radio’s Our Town

The traditional methods employed by local governments to attract and develop new businesses are changing. One method being employed is by making the community as attractive and “livable” as possible says Florence’s Economic Development Coordinator. Kelli Weese says using public art can make the community stand out as well as make it more attractive to someone looking to relocate and bring new jobs with them.

Weese, along with the chair of the city’s Public Art Committee, Harlen Springer, will be on the August edition of Coast Radio’s Our Town to talk about how they’re hoping to create several pockets of public art throughout the community. City Councilor Joshua Greene will also be on the panel.

This month’s Our Town will also feature several other conversations, including two related to athletics at Siuslaw High School. Chris Johnson, a long time Cross Country and Track & Field coach at Siuslaw was recently named the athletic director. He’ll talk about the upcoming induction ceremony for the Siuslaw High School Athletic Hall of Fame. In a separate segment, newly appointed head football coach, Jamin Pool will talk about the pressures of taking over a highly successful program that has only had two other coaches over the past 50 years. Pool, who describes himself as a football fanatic, says he feels confident that he’ll be able to live up to expectiations.

Meg Spencer is one of 8 “Siuslaw Vision Keepers”, a group that has been working with several different community groups over the past 18 months to develop a common vision for what our region could look like over the next ten years. She and the others have become the core growth that grew out of the Siuslaw Pathways project, aimed at identifying several key projects and goals for the community. She’ll talk about some of those goals, including increasing access to local transportation and health care; creating community centers; and the possible creation of a regional parks and recreation department.

The other segment in Our Town this week will feature Lane Community College Florence Center director Russ Pierson and LCC’s director of financial aid Helen Faith. They’ll talk about the “Oregon Promise”, recent legislative efforts to increase low or no cost college for high school graduates in Oregon. Pierson says it’s a complicated process and it takes a lot of work and study to make it work. He and Faith will also talk about other financial options for incoming students.

It’s all sponsored by Andy Baber of Edward Jones Investments; Holloway and Associates CPA’s; the Archives Photo Restoration Specialists, Lane Community College in Florence, Siuslaw Public Library and PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center. It airs on KCST, FM 106.9, the first Wednesday of each month between 4:00 and 6:00 PM; then again the next morning on KCFM, AM1250-FM 104.1 from 10:00 AM to noon.